right knowledge of Gods will and increaseth and groweth by the same it is also the rule and square to measure and guide al vertue by for we must not thinke that that is good which seemeth so vnto our reason but that which God in his reuealed will hath called good vnlesse therefore vertue did growe in vs wee cannot haue it before wee become skilfull and haue learned it out of the woorde of God For this cause the Apostle mouing these excellent men to increase in godlinesse sheweth them the way when hee willeth them to increase in knoweledge Nowe if wee marke well what manner of men they were to whome hee wrote namelye no babes nor youngelinges in the Gospel for hee saide they had obteined like precious faith with him and after warde in this Chapter hee saieth they did knowe and were stablished in the present truth wee shall easily perceiue howe this may stop the mouthes of many which holde blinde errors First of al of those which affirme that ignorance is the mother of deuotion if godlinesse and vertue be the true deuotion then it must needes folowe that their doctrine is false and diuelishe seeing we are charged to ioine vnto our vertue knowledge it is true if they mean Popishe deuotion for they coulde neuer haue kept men in awe to be zealous of their religion and to seeke for that at the handes of men which God alone doeth giue vnlesse they had kept them in blindnesse and ignorance and therefore they tooke a wise way to keepe the people from knowing the worde which so soone as it brake foorth againe disclosed all their falshood and treacherye in so muche that neither good nor bad almost haue any deuotion vnto them Secondly of those which although they bee not rancke Papistes yet haue in them still a smacke and sauour of Popish principles and therfore like fooles are also enemies vnto knowledge For thus they speake it were no matter if there were lesse preaching I thinke the people bee the woorse for it there is knowledge euen enough what should laye men bee troubled to learne or to seeke for the knoweledge of the Scriptures let them tende their woorke and looke to their occupations and learne to bee quiet and to deale honestlye against these poore blinde beastes for I may vse no gentle speeche wee are to reason out of this place first that all men knowe they neuer so muche are heere commaunded to increase in knowledge to the ende they may increase in faith and godlinesse Secondly let them consider to what manner of menne Saint Peter wrote namelye to poore and riche men women and children to al sortes and to bee short to as manie as woulde haue Faith and vertue and so come to life and glorye and therefore as well the poore ploughman as the greate Clarke is commanded to increase his knowledge out of Gods booke Thirdlye they muche ouershoote them selues when they woulde beare them in hande that knowledge whiche is the guider of vertue shoulde bee the cause of vice Naye if wee wipe our eyes and looke better to the matter wee shall see that there is a sloodde of ignoraunce whiche hath almost ouer whelmed all and in many whiche seeme to know very muche if they were sounded to the bottome there should be found in them grosse ignorance and palpable darknes and so in deede the true cause of al foule sinnes which abound at this day among vs and flowe euen as a swelling Sea is the want of true knowledge This ignoraunce hath taken such roote that all they which haue made proofe will confesse with mee that our time is like the time of the prophete Esaie 28. who hauing laboured himselfe as it were out of breathe in teaching and seeing so smal profiting beeing commaunded of the Lorde stil to go to his businesse bursteth foorth into these speeches whom shall I teache knowledge whome shall I make for to vnderstande them that are wained from the milke and drawne from the brestes for precept must bee vppon precept precept vppon precept line vnto line line vnto line a litle here and a litle there And in an other place hee saith the woorde of the Lorde was like a sealed booke if hee come to oâ—e saying Reade this I pray you he makeâ—h answere I cannot reade to another that can reade hee answereth I cannot for it is sealed Furthermore let these seely creatures learne of this place to bee ashamed of that wherein they seeme after a sorte to glorie when they vse to saye as they thinke in defence of themselues wee be without skil wee haue no knowledge wee bee poore honest men wee haue no learning it is as much as to say we haue no faith we haue no vertue wee haue no godlinesse for wee bee plainely taught heere that faith vertue and knowledge must increase and growe vpp together Let vs al print this lesson deepely in our mindes that it may driue vs to make haste to come out of our ignorance and to seeke apace after knowledge Let vs take heede of flattering our selues as some other doe whiche hauing gotten some skil or at leaste thinke that they haue sette very light by the publike teaching of the word they do excuse them selâ—es after this sort I thanke God I am not of the ignorant sorte nor of the meanest iudgement I know somewhat let them hunte after preaching that neede it is very good for them as for mee I am sufficiently acquainted with the matter alreadie this kinde of men are harde too deale withall because they bee wise in their owne conceite and not in the Lorde for if they had once but euen a litle tasted of true knowledge of the sweetnesse and power therof they woulde neuer haue enough of the first sponeful if they had an healthful stomacke they could neuer be brought so soone to loath as it were to vomit vp againe so wholesome sustenaunce But let vs learne heere that when our knowledge is growne to bee neuer so great because we knowe but in part and we know nothing as we ought to know as Saynte Paule saith euen then wee are to giue all diligence to ioyne to our vertue knowledge vnlesse when wee haue begunne and proceeded so farre wee minde to fal backe againe This place doth plainly set foorth the woeful and miserable state of those whiche bâ—e without teaching or haue it in so scanty a measure that they come almost to no vnderstanding they are meerie and thinke all is wel and thinke themselues best when they are least dealt withall but iudge righteous iudgement whiche the Lorde by his Apostle teacheth vs to iudge and wee shall see that their myrth is nothing els but a madde laughter euen in the middest of feareful and horrible destruction Vnto knowledge ioyne temperaunce c. Or continence for so the worde whiche Saint Peter vseth may be translated But what doth he meane hauing bidden vs to ioyne vertue to faith Againe as though he
and fulfilling his lustes Nowe by faith in the Gospel this image is restored and built vp in vs againe whilest we receiue the spirite of sanctification ioyned with the same If men did know this first that all happinesse in men is to be made partakers of the nature of God to communicate with him and then that this is wrought only by the Gospel men woulde not so lothsomely despise it and preferre euery light commoditie and trifling pleasure before it men woulde not seeke to disgrace slander it men would not be so soone wearie in hearing of it nor thinke euery houre ten while they bee at it Finally men vnlesse they were mad men would not as they do now almost euery where thinke them selues best at ease when it is furthest from them for who would willingly throwe himselfe headlong to destruction who would so play the mad beastes as to thrust God from them refuse to bee made partakers of his heauenly nature which al they doe that haue as yet felt no sweetnesse in the Gospell or at least haue so little tasted it that it can scarse obtaine colde lone at their hands But there needeth somwhat to be said vpō the phrase of spech which S. Peter vseth for it is somewhat hard to some as it was in old time fouly abused by heretikes so is it wickedly at this day peruerted by the louely Familie which holding this doctrine that men are deified and God is hominified as their language is meaning that the very essence and substance of God is transsused into men and his substance theirs mingled together take great holde of this that the Apostle saith wee are made partakers of the diuine nature But you shal see that euery simple man may easily confute thē if we aske what the nature of an horse is wil a man answere that he is made of the earth then a horse and a man are both of one nature for man is also made of the earth it is manifest thē that none is so foolish but hee will confesse that when we speake of the nature of any thing we meane not the substāce but the qualities properties euen so in this place we must needs graunt that by the diuine nature in this place is nothing els ment but that there should be such a nature and such qualities in men as may carrye a resemblance of the diuine nature as for example god is holy wee must bee holy he is pure good iust gracious bountiful louing merciful all these and such like must be also in vs we shal also come to be partakers of life of glory of ioye of happinesse and eternitie and so in a neerer sorte to bee partakers of the diuine nature What are all those now the better which haue so receiued the precious promises that their qualities are euen as agreeable to the nature of GOD as light is with darkenesse or Heauen with Hell or Christe with Beliall Sith so manie shamefull and beastly sinnes flowe and raigne in them which are so many partakinges of the Diuelishe nature let them for shame denye that they haue ought wherein they communicate with GOD in anye thing sauing a bare profession Then what is it which maketh a good man The promises of the Gospell What is it which bringeth life and saluation The Gospel Who are they which haue imbraced the promises haue the true and liuely faith The holy Who are they whom God hath called to life eternall to bee those whome hee loueth as children bearing his Image The pure and vndefiled in the last clause of this verse he sheweth his meaning very plainly In that saieth hee yee flie the corruptions which are in the world through lust this is the way to bee made partakers of the diuine nature for as corruptions and filthie defilinges the more they cleaue vnto vs the more they separate vs from the Lord so contrariwise the more a man doeth flie and eschewe them so much the neerer hee doeth approch vnto God who is the fountaine of all puritie We are here to note that S. Peter maketh al corruption and naughtinesse in the worlde to spring out of concupiscence or as it is vsually translated lust where wee must learne first what this concupiscence or lust is which is heere saide to bee as it were the seate of sinne and indeede it is the roote and fountaine out of which groweth floweth al euill that is committed in the world either in thought worde or deede to be short this is that which is forbiddē in the tenth cōmādemēt whē he saith Thou shalt not couer at least so much of it is forbidden there as pertaineth to the second table that is the roote fountaine of all euil against men for there is nothing recited in the same last commandement but towarde men when our Sauiour Christ setteth foorth the summe of the first table hee saith it is to loue the Lorde with all the heart with al the soule c. Now where the whole hart is required there concupiscence must needs be forbiddē but ye wil say what is it wherin doth it consist It is not in deeds words nor thoughts but a more close inward sicknes bred as they say in the bones the natural blot spot of originall sinne which we haue by inheritance from our first parents bring with vs out of our mothers wōb out of which al euil thoughts desires do arise in vs. S. Iames in the first chap. of his Epistle maketh it the wombe mother which conceiueth bringeth forth sinne Let no man saith hee when he is tempted say I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with euill neither tēpteth he any mā but euery one is tempted when he is drawne away by his own concupiscence is entised thē lust when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sinne sinne whē it is finished bringeth forth death The first thing we haue here to note in this doctrine is this that all corruptiō is of our selues not comming from any outward cause it is true that Satan is an instrument as it were the bellowes to stirre and kindle in vs the lustes of sinne and beareth a very great stroke in the matter but if it were not for this concupiscence that is in vs hee coulde not bring his matters to passe the prouocations and alurementes of wicked men are so many meanes to driue vs and draw vs into sinne but yet the cause is in our selues A chiefe point to bee obserued that wee may learne to condemne our selues when wee haue done amisse and not after the maner of men which looke when they haue faulted howe they may disburthen themselues and be discharged of the blame and therefore they will either crie out of the Diuell as though hee as they say ought them a shame or els they will say woe worth such or suche that euer I knew them if it had not been for them I should
yet you are equal with me with the rest of the Apostles in the chiefe and principall dignitie in that wherein all happines doth cōsist euē our precious faith Here it may bee demaunded howe Saint Peter can ascribe vnto them a faith equall or like precious with his owne seeing he did so farre excell them in giftes and graces as in knowledge strength of faith The answer is easie inough namely that this comparison is not made in the measure quātity of faith for therin some haue excelled others farre because God doth not giue his gifts to all alike but in the effect which is the apprehending of Christ with al his merits which the weak faith doth as wel as the strong and therefore in this respect is equally precious This I speake not to make any slouthfull when as the Scriptures do pricke vs forwarde so much to seeke increase of faith but for the comfort and hartening of the weake which feeling their infirmitie and weaknes of faith if it were not for this which the Apostle speaketh might doubt whether they were partakers of the same happinesse with them now hearing this they may be wel assured al though their faith should be but as a grain of mustard seed yet if it bee true faith it coupleth them to Christe and maketh them partakers of redemption to haue their sinnes washed away in his blood of righteousnes to be couered with his obediēce of life to be heires of the kingdome of glorie as wel as the faith of Peter or any other Vnto this is also ioyned that wherin the stablenes of this their faith doth stande as vpon a sure foundation euē the righteousnesse of God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christe And indeede the building of faith is so waightie and the frame so heauie that it can stande vpon no other foundation but this that is to say the righteousnesse faithfulnesse or truth of God which cannot lie For if we would perswade a man to beleeue by this reason that the thing which wee speake is that which hath been taught by diuers men of great learning singular godlines yet because we know that al men are lyers except wee bee sure that the things which they speak be those which God hath spoken wee shall still wauer and our faith shal be no faith which alone can rest in the authoritie of God and not of men 2 The seconde verse conteineth his salutation euen that which is common to him with Paul the other Apostles wishing grace and peace to those vnto whom they write And this they do because it is the chiefe scope and principal ende of their ministerie to bring men againe into Gods fauour to be reconciled vnto him Of this thing speaketh S. Paul 2. Cor. 5. chap. ver 18. saying All things are of God which hath recōciled vs to himself by Iesus Christ And hath giuen vnto vs the ministerie of reconciliation for God was in Christe and reconciled the worlde to himselfe not imputing their sinnes vnto them and hath committed to vs the word of reconciliation Now thé are we Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseeche you through vs wee pray you in Christe his steede that you bee reconciled to God This beeing the chiefe end of their trauell causeth them so earnestly to wish it for the people and to bee so serious not only in teaching them this generally but also pointing out as it were with the finger the way to the same and that not onelie in their doctrine but also in their liues Whosoeuer digresseth or casteth his eyes aside from this marke ende of his ministerie ceaseth to bee the Minister of Christe As for example If hee preach the Gospell to purchase renowme estimation wealth of case to himselfe and not to seeke this reconciliation betweene God and men and to haue grace and peace multiplied vppon them he may wel sometimes preach the truth but not truly Likewise those parentes whiche set foorth their children to learning with this minde My sonne shall liue an easie and merie life hee shal get some liuings promotions dignities in the Church do lay a corrupt and rotten foundation haue not learned this doctrine of the Apostle and therefore the building folowes agreeably for the most whē they come to haue learning not forgetting this lesson which they learned of their fathers doe become greedie cathers of benefices and promotions rather then carefull feeders of the flocke of Christ But here it may be obiected how the Apostle can wish that grace which is the free fauour of God should be multiplied vpon them seeing that Gods loue fauor doth not increase nor diminishe but hee loueth and fauoureth alwayes alike being subiect to no alteration or change This may wel be answered that Sainte Peter doeth not speake heere of grace as it is in it selfe in God towardes mē but of their feeling the same which groweth by degrees from lesse to greater and because it is a thing so precious the Apostle wisheth that it may be multiplied vpon them Hee expresseth the meane to be the knowledge acknowledging of God and of Iesus Christ our Lord. 3 According as his diuine power hath giuen vnto vs al things that perteine vnto life godlines through the acknowledging of him that hath called vs vnto glory and vertue This is fitly ioyned to the former verse to shewe that the aboundance of grace and peace is not without cause required at our handes as if the Apostle shoulde say You are not to content nor to satisfie your selues with a scant measure of Gods giftes and graces seeing that there is offred vnto you set forth in Christ vnto whom you may resort as to a storehouse fully furnished with all treasures all things which partain to life and godlinesse Secondly we haue to obserue in this verse when hee saith that all thinges are giuen vnto vs by his diuine power that here is nothing left in the worke of our saluation vnto our selues so that it must needes follow that these which defend free will doe not speake with the same spirite which the Apostle doth here For setting forth a contrary doctrine to this it must needes proceed from a contrary spirite The Apostle doth not say heere that all those thinges which wee want through the weakenesse of our nature shal be supplied but to shewe that there is nothing in vs at all but that wee are quite stript of all things which pertaine to life and godlinesse Hee speaketh not of repairing or helping in some parte but of a whole and free gifte in euerie part when he saith whithout exception that all thinges are giuen vnto vs by the diuine power which pertaine vnto life and godlines and so this doctrine doth chalenge all the praise and glory of our saluation to God alone Thirdly it may be demanded why the Apostle shoulde say that all thinges are giuen vnto vs by the diuine power or Godhead of our
excellent shoulde moue vs but dealeth with vs as with those which are lumpish and dul needing many spurres to bee pricked forwarde withall and all litle enough let vs bee careful therefore to take heede to that hee saieth If these things be with you abound they will make c. In this 8. verse hee beginneth to shew the commodities which shal redounde vnto vs if wee so giue our diligence that wee may bee richly decked with these graces they wil make you saith the Apostle that yee shal not bee idle nor vnfruiteful in the acknowledging of our Lorde Iesus Christe It is a shameful thing when GOD hath shewed himselfe vnto vs in his Sonne hath called vs into his seruice out of miserable bondage for vs to bee ydle and vnfruiteful If the Lorde haue planted vs if he haue dressed vs then as it is also said by our sauiour Christ Iohn 15. Herein is my father glorified that ye goe and bring foorth much fruite Then it is by this place very apparant that a man may draw out a sure an infallible argument against all those whiche are idle and slouthful in the profession of religion and as they say key colde or slack in the worship seruice of god or vnfruitful in good workes namely that they are graceles voide of faith those vertues which doe euer accompany the same for when Saint Peter saith if these things bee with you they wil make that ye shal not be idle nor vnfruitful it foloweth necessarily that such as bee idle which ariseth for want of zeale or bee vnfruitful continuing in their sinnes it is because they did neuer yet come to the true knowledge of Châ—ist they may wel bost theÌ„selues of their strong faith make a braue shewe of their skil sine wit so that men might think there were some deepe thing in them that they shold be able eueÌ„ to iudge giue aright verdit in al matters but a man reading but euen this place finding them ydle and vnfruitful yea euen a simple man shal easily sounde them to the bottome and say of them that they haue not as yet knowne or learned Christe because they want those former thinges Wee must note this also when hee saith If these thinges abounde in you this is that wee should not content our selues with a scant and bare measure of faith of vertue of knowledge and of the rest as he setteth them downe but we must labour to haue a dayly increase for that must bee gathered by this that he pricketh forwarde these ripe and grounded men A doctrine most necessary to be vrged because if men haue gone two or three steppes or haue once a litle begunne to labour about these thinges so that they can looke backe and see some come behinde them or can say I thanke God I knowe somewhat I hope that I am not without faith somewhat there is which I haue done that I would be loth to doe againe they by and by persuade themselues that they are sufficiently furnished so that they wil not sticke to say I trust I haue that which shall serue the turne Naye the Apostle telleth vs an other thing heere from the Lord that is that we must ouerflow in these and abounde and truth it is that these men which thinke they bee well fraught and so seeke for no further increase of store haue as yet nothing for if they had once founde the sweete of these thinges and seene withall that they are farre behind and in beggerly need they would neuer content themselues with so little for who is hee which feeleth increase in worldlye treasure that wil crie hoe and say I haue enough Is there lesse in the heauenly treasures to drawe men to like them than in the earthy Or is it because men doe not knowe them Wee must learne to take heede of such therefore as woulde beare men in hande that it is sufficient yea that it is the best of al for men to content theÌ„selues with some ciuil honestie and not to seeke and weerie their mindes to gaine knowledge But these were neuer as yet the men which might bee right called the schollers of Christe much lesse wee are to deeme them worthie masters or teachers of others when they goe flat contrary to the holy Apostle of Christe who willeth to seek for so great abundance when as they would conteÌ„t themselues and persuade others to bee contented with scant a shadowe of these thinges which shoulde bee so plentifully founde in them Notwithstanding some are so blinde that hauing no shadow or shewe at al of goodnesse yet thinke they bee gone farre enough In the next verse where hee saith Hee that hath not these thinges is blinde and seeth not a farre of and hath forgotten that he was purged from his olde sinnes hee setteth forth the discommodities which follow the want of these vertues And this hee doth because some man wil be litle mooued to heare that commoditie which hee spake of and wil say what care I though I bee idle What care I though I bee vnfruitful I will not goe about to be better theÌ„ other men what should I labour to excel those which are wiser then I If then they wil not regard this that these vertues wil make them excellent seruants of God yet let them consider what the Apostle maketh them without the same where hee affirmeth them first to bee blinde a very miserable thing in the bodily sight muche more in the spirituall which hee here meaneth when God hath so cleerely reuealed himself in the face of his sonne in the knowledge which bringeth saluation that the God of this worlde as Saint Paule speaketh 2. Cor. 4. should so blinde their minds that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christe which is the image of God shoulde not shine vnto them Secondly he saith they cannot see a farre of or that they be poreblinde for such as haue the beames of sight scattering or spreading a sunder so soone as they be out of the eye caÌ„ see wel enough iust by them but not a farre of to these S. Peter doth compare those men But it may be asked what he meaneth first to say they be starke blinde afterward to attribute some sight vnto them It may seeme by this worde that hee maketh their cause not so euil as before he had saide it was yes euen as euill for he saith as much in this worde as he did in the other for when he saith They cannot see a farre of hee taketh from them al sight of heauenly thinges which are remoued from vs seene only by faith hee doeth not denie them the sight of those things which are at hand because they haue a good and a sharpe sight in the thinges of this worlde for the most part better then they which can see a far of But what are these quicke wits the better wheÌ„ they are but for this world and their condition no